How to Make Natural Cleaners for Your Home

As natural mamas, we want to clean our homes without harming our health.

I remember cleaning my first apartment after college and having to open the windows because I felt dizzy. Little did I know at the time it was from all of the toxic fumes!

Fast-forward to today, there’s a whole slew of natural cleaners on the market for those who want to avoid inhaling all of the nasty stuff. But mamas, they’re EXPENSIVE!

That’s why I love these DIY products that offer the best clean without hurting your health or pocketbook. There are no harsh fumes, chemicals or toxins. The ingredients are natural, accessible and affordable.

Mold & Mildew Natural Cleaners

Put in a spray bottle and squirt on mold and let sit for up to one hour. You can also add 1-2 TB of baking soda which will start to bubble from the acidic cleanser (and this means it’s working 🙂

Scrub with sponge or brush. Repeat if necessary.

You can also make a thick paste of water, baking soda, and a few drops of hydrogen peroxide for stubborn spots. It’s great for bathroom tile!

Carpet Stain Remover

Mix equal parts white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on stain, let sit for several minutes, and clean with a brush or sponge using warm soapy water.

Rugs/Carpet Cleaner

Sprinkle baking soda or cornstarch on rugs/carpets and wait several hours before vacuuming

Floor Cleaner and Polish

Most floors can be cleaned using 1/3 vinegar to 2/3 water. Add a few drops of mint or citrus essential oils for a nice, clean scent.

If you have wood floors, I recommend investing in a jug of Dr. Bronner’s Liquid Soap. We buy it by the gallon. Pro tip: buy the baby mild unscented formula and add your own essential oils for a fresh scent.

Wood Polish

Mix 1 cup olive oil to ½ cup lemon and rub small amount into wood. A little goes a long way!

Sherry Gray@Vacuum Repair Wayne County Ohio Jun 8 at 1:26 am

alison ely Jan 12 at 7:13 pm

i love what you’ve written here, and i have a question regarding something that i cannot find anywhere on the internet at all: do homemade cleaning products have a shorter expiration date? of course things that only use things like baking soda, etc will last a long time, but what about when things like fresh lemon juice are included? should those recipes be used within a certain short window or will the all-natural ingredients last the same way as baking soda etc if it’s all mixed in there?

Sarah Cauble Dec 2 at 10:00 am

Kendra Porter Feb 6 at 1:34 pm

Moisten a lint free rag with full strength White Distilled Vinegar and get to rubbing down your wood. You can also dilute 1:1 with water in a spray bottle. A friend of my mother’s was moving and gifted me a beautiful wood dining table however it was dull. My mother told me to use the vinegar and since then that is the inly thing i use on any piece of wood in my home. It removes and wax buildup you may hve had from other cleaners, keeps the wood moisturized and creates a brillant glow.

And of course I do a 1:1 ratio vinegar to water in a spray bottle for all my mirrors and glass.

Farrah Gauthier Aug 25 at 6:10 pm

I’m late to the party but so excited to start. I’ve been using natural cleaning products but still some bleach to whiten sometimes black caulk in the shower. No more bleach for me. Wondering if you have recommendations on bottles/storage for the homemade cleaners? Many thanks!

How to use: You may want to use 1 cup of this natural bleach when you strip your diapers (versus 1/2 cup of regular bleach). You would combine this natural bleach with your regular non-toxic or “green” laundry soap in the same quantity as you normally use for washing clothes. You can also add 10-15 drops of Lemon or Thieves essential oils to your liquid washing soap for an added cleaning boost.

Katie Bolt Jul 26 at 2:45 pm

Just to preface, I LOVE your site and learn so much from it, so thank you! I do want to say though that when you add vinegar to baking soda, they react, since vinegar is an acid and baking soda a base. After this reaction, they basically just make a salt water. Vinegar and baking soda are both effective cleaners when they are used separately, or together to do something like unclog a toilet with the reaction, but when you mix them in one bottle for a cleaning solution they don’t necessarily keep their same cleaning properties. I love the rest of these ideas though! can’t wait to try them.

Elizabeth May 23 at 12:47 pm

I am looking for a natural mixture I can use to spray on kids/babies toys to sanitize. I’ve passed down some toys to my youngest from her big brother, and I know they both love(d) putting them in their mouth, so I want to make sure I have a spray to use regularly to keep the germs away. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated!

Rebecca Aug 19 at 6:08 pm

Hi Elizabeth 🙂 We would use colloidal silver for things like baby toys – just spray it on and leave it to dry. A good quality one is important – we use Skybright, but I’m sure there are others around; look for 8 to 10 ppm 🙂

Morgan Jul 22 at 3:30 pm

Jessica Entrekin Aug 25 at 12:58 pm

One part vinegar, 2 parts water, and 2-3 tablespoons rubbing alcohol is a WONDERFUL after shower spray. Also, to get gunk off, use 1 part vinegar, one part dish soap, and one part HOT water (just hot the first time you mix it in the bottle, it doesn’t have stay hot), spray it in and leave it for an hour, and the gunk will wipe off easily.

Megan Mar 6 at 1:07 pm

I try to make all my cleaners from scratch because I know what is in it and it is SO much cheaper. My laundry detergent is 1 4lb box of baking soda, 1 4lb box super washing soda, 1 box 20 mule borax, 1 box oxi clean (optional- it does get your clothes brighter but it makes me nervous to put it in there) and 4 bars of grated zote laundry bars. The great thing about this is that it literally takes about 1/2 cup per large load. It cost about $15 to make it and it will last a family of 3 about 6 months. It is also safe with cloth diapers so you don’t ever have to strip them again because there is no build up. It also gets just about every stain out.
I make my own baby wipes so I thought what about making your own natural herbal Clorox disinfecting wipes for your counters and everything else around your house. So you follow the wipe recipe and then add tea tree essential oil because it is a disinfectant. Anyways my list goes on from dish washing detergent to hair shampoo.

Shannon A Oct 8 at 2:07 pm

I also make my own dish washing liquid. 2 TBS Dr. Bonner soap grated. 1 TBS of Arm and Hammer Washing Soda, 1 TBS Vinegar 1/8 tsp of tea tree oil and up too a 1/4 of a tsp of your favorite essential oil. I love lavender and lemon. Then take a 1 1/2 cup of hot water and pour it in the mixture and then wisk it together until there is no clumps. I store it in an old bottle and then let it sit for a while to let cool, it starts to thicken. It doesn’t bubble up much, but it cleans so nicely. I also bought an entire book on cleaners from Frugally Sustainable Blog and have been using those recipes for months. I love it. All made from Vinegar, Borax, Washing Soda, Baking Soda, essential oils and water and coconut olive or Jojoba oil.

Megan Oct 11 at 12:59 pm

Elizabeth Oct 3 at 9:14 am

Lemon Juice should work too get rid of the toilet bowl smell ick!
I make my own ‘bleach’ alternative. Take 1 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide, and 1 1/3 cup of lemon juice put into a gallon jug, fill up top with water and shake. It works great! My whites have never been whiter! Also gets out icky mustard and red wine stains, puts pour onto the stain and then add some in the wash. 🙂

Jamie Oct 3 at 8:59 am

Shannon A Oct 8 at 2:01 pm

I take baking soda and put lemon and Lavendar, and tea tree essential oil and then add vinegar pour it in the bowl, swish it with a scrubby and let it sit for 30 minutes and flush..makes everything smell great!

TashaMarie Oct 9 at 8:29 am

You could also try Seventh Generation’s toilet cleaner. It works really well. One of the toilets in our house is a really cheap HomeDepot special that came with the place and that stinks really quickly. Seventh Gen. is the only thing that we’ve found can combat the smell. (Which is great now that we have the extra “hover over the toilet time” while cleaning dirty diapers.) What a surprise that a natural cleaner can do what a chemical one can’t! *All sarcasm intended with that last remark.*

Amanda Oct 2 at 6:19 pm

I have been using vinegar on my hard wood floors for a while and have never had any problems. Maybe it just depends on the finish or type of wood? I’m interested in trying out the dr bronners for cleaning around the house though! Love the list, it’s such an easy change to make

Melissa Oct 2 at 3:37 pm

Melissa Oct 2 at 3:37 pm

I use either the mint or tea tree dr bonnets for everything! A table spoon in a spray bottle with water cleans my house regularly and I have 4 very gross kids lol!!! I also use it in my carpet scrubber same just a table spoon in the water tank instead of commercial carpet cleaner. I scrub upholstery with it too including my car! Seems expensive at first but when you realize how far a big bottle goes you save hundreds a year! I hate the smell of vinegar but I use it sparingly for windows. I use soft cloth and elbow grease for things like the tv. My kids have asthma and allergies if I spray commercial stuff they can’t breathe.

cammi Dec 19 at 5:12 pm

Melissa, I have an alergy problem with smells also, it is to a point that even shopping will make me sick or have an asthma attack. how I wish they would out law perfumes and such. Does the tea tree oil bother your kids? I am scared to death any more to even think of trying new things.

Monica Oct 2 at 2:26 pm

Bookmarked 🙂 We move into our new house middle of this month, I couldn’t be more excited! Being new to this natural living business, I’m happy to start on a clean slate and not allow harmful products into our new home!

Amy Moy Oct 2 at 11:58 am

These all sound fabulous! I’d really love to start making these and save some $$$! One question I have: how long will these last in spray bottles? Should I expect them to last as long as the all-natural products I buy on the shelves?

Amy Moy Oct 3 at 12:42 am

Ashley Oct 2 at 11:56 am

I love making my own cleaning solutions! I like to know every ingredient in products I use, plus it’s way cheaper!! have you read the book, the naturally clean home? It’s awesome.. Has a recipe for just about anything you’re cleaning. Plus has cool tips, my 2 favorite is- 1- I put some essential oil drops on the inside of the toilet paper roll in my bathroom, so every time it moves, it fills my bathroom with a good smell. 2- I put lavender drops on an old ripped up shirt and throw it in the dryer with my clothes 🙂 way cheaper than fabric sheets(which I stopped using years ago)

Megan Feb 9 at 12:26 am

One of my all time favorite cleaners is called Orange TKO. You used to could buy it in the lawn and garden section of Home Depot but they stopped carrying it about 5 years ago so I buy my off of mynaturalmarket.com this stuff is amazing and it does absolutely everything. It is 99% organic and it only takes like 1 tablespoon to like a quart of water so a 16 oz bottle will last forever. I have used it as a pesticide, to clean hardwood floors, during flea season I spray on my dogs to keep fleas away ( it kills them on contact). I literally can’t think of anything that I haven’t used it for.